His fight with Fernando Padilla is a chance for Nelson (14-5-1) to secure two wins in a row for the first time in his UFC run. Plus, he has his own beer coming out, Fight Camp Light Lager. Things up looking up, in other words.

Asked about life ahead of a fight, and which was worse, Fight Week or the week prior, Nelson told Cageside Press recently that “Fight Week’s pretty easy. Fight Week’s the best, because you’ve done pretty much all the hard work. You’ll still do some cardio and strength and conditioning stuff, but by that point, you’ve basically made it. Now you’re just hanging around, resting and recovering, waiting for the fight.”

“I would say the two weeks leading up to the Fight Week are probably the hardest.”

Getting to bed the night before the fight, meanwhile, has gotten easier for Nelson over the years.

“When I was younger and first got in the UFC that night before would be kind of heard to get some sleep,” he noted. “But after you do your weight cut and all that stuff, and make weight and you refuel, your body’s already gone through a lot. So it’s ready to get some sleep.”

“Now that I’m so experienced it’s pretty easy for me to turn that part of my brain off. I’ve already worked for six or eight weeks up to that point to get ready for the fight, so there’s nothing that I’m going to be able to do that Friday night before the fight that’s going to affect the fight.”

Kyle Nelson is jumping from the UFC’s return to Canada, a massive card in its own right, to one of the promotion’s biggest Fight Night events in years, Noche UFC. Topped off by a title fight, there will be a lot of eyes on the card, and Nelson has landed on the main card against Padilla, who will rep Mexico at an event celebrating Mexican Independence Day.

“I think it’s a great match-up,” Nelson said regarding the fight. “He kind of burst on the UFC scene, he fought Julian Erosa, a guy that I’ve trained a lot with in Las Vegas, and he did well. He was landing some nice shots, kind of boxing at range, and kind of caught Julian early on.” While Nelson believes it might have been a bit of an early stoppage, “that just adds to the hype of Fernando. So I think we’re going to match up well. He’s a good boxer, got some good jiu-jitsu and stuff, but I think all around I’m definitely better.”

Nelson also addressed the state of MMA in the Canadian Province of Ontario. Hailing from Huntsville, ON, Nelson agreed that the athletic commission has been a key issue in the lack of growth of the sport — with exorbitant fees for medicals and licensing.

“Yeah absolutely. The commission, it wasn’t even legal in Ontario until what, 2010 or 2011?” observed Nelson. “The commission has been slow kind of pushing, and holding back MMA in Ontario.”

“Amateur MMA is still a grey area and stuff. Once we can get some amateur MMA going, it will help build the scene,” he added. Nelson also pointed out that behind the scenes, there have been changes to the athletic commission with some new people getting on board. “That will hopefully help sort that out, maybe make the medicals a little bit more feasible and make some of the commission fees a little bit cheaper so we can have more shows.”

Watch the our full interview with Noche UFC’s Kyle Nelson above!

The post Noche UFC: Kyle Nelson Feels He’s “Definitely Better” Than Fernando Padilla All Around appeared first on Cageside Press.

In a recent interview, George expressed excitement and confidence for the upcoming bout, sharing insights into his preparation, training regimen, and feelings about fighting at the iconic venue.

Excited for the Match-Up

George, who holds a 6-1-0 record, is looking forward to facing off against the undefeated Mixan (5-0-0). He said about the match-up, “I love it, man. I think Chris is a worthy adversary, and it will make a fan-friendly fight. I expect fireworks.” He also highlighted his strategy, combining striking with wrestling skills. “It’s the recipe for a very fun fight,” he added.

The Magnitude of Fighting at MSG

George tried to downplay the hype when asked about fighting at Madison Square Garden but couldn’t hide his excitement. “I’m trying not to get myself hyped up about it,” he said. With only seven professional fights under his belt, fighting at “the Mecca” of combat sports is an extraordinary opportunity.

Training at The Lab in Arizona

Switching gears, George shared details about his current training camp at The Lab in Arizona. Having initially visited Arizona last year, he was impressed by the “great camaraderie” and quality training. George emphasized the importance of focused preparation, saying, “Everything was just going so great over there.” His time training in Arizona a week before his call from the PFL helped him easily accept the fight when offered.

The fighter also addressed the difficulties of training on the East Coast, where the need for extensive travel can be exhausting. By contrast, training at The Lab provides a distraction-free environment where he can solely focus on his preparation.

Personal Sacrifices

One of the more poignant moments in the interview came when George discussed his sacrifices for his career, particularly spending time away from his daughter. He said it’s “a sacrifice that needs to be made,” likening it to a work trip.

Though he stays connected through daily FaceTime calls, the physical separation is tough. “By the time the fight’s over, it’d be seven weeks of me not seeing my daughter in person,” George said, adding that this sacrifice has become an additional reason to “fuel the fire” to win the fight.

Eddy George’s upcoming fight against Chris Mixan promises to be an electrifying showdown between two talented lightweights. With George’s new training regimen, excitement for fighting at Madison Square Garden, and a determination fueled by personal sacrifices, this bout will be one to watch at PFL 8.

The event, featuring three 5-minute rounds in the lightweight division (155 lbs), will take place at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York, on Friday, August 18, 2023.

The post Eddy George Talks Upcoming PFL 8 Fight, New Training Camp, and Sacrifices for Success appeared first on Cageside Press.